Lots of parents think it's their fault when their child is a fussy eater. But breathe a sigh of relief, as a new study has found that parents are not to blame for picky food habits after all.

The new research findings are welcome news to parents. They show that fussy food preferences are largely down to a child's personality and the genes they inherit.

Researchers at University College London studied 2,000 sets of 16-month-old twins. They looked at what influenced a child's attitude to food and eating.

The results showed that the body's genes, i.e. a child's natural make-up, had as much, and in some cases even more, influence over whether the child is fussy about their food.

Andrea Smith, a PhD student at University College London, who jointly led the research, talked about how parents are often quick to blame themselves.

She said: 'Understanding that these traits are largely innate might help to deflect this blame.'

However, parents can still play an important role in changing attitudes to eating and trying new foods, with the key piece of advice being to start early.

Children need to try new foods at least 15 times before they eat it.

Parents are encouraged to never force a child to eat, but to keep trying and to praise any efforts – even if a child tries just a tiny piece of something different.

The study reports: 'A key intervention to attenuate fussy eating behavior is repeated exposure to the problem food; the premise being that the more a child tries a food, the more familiar and the more acceptable it becomes.'

Understanding that these traits are largely innate might help to deflect this blame.

Andrea Smith

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Tips to cope with fussy eaters:

Eat your meals together as a family, if possible.

Give small portions and praise your child for eating, even if they only manage a little.

If your child rejects the food, don't force them to eat it. Just take the food away without comment and try to stay calm.

Your child may be a slow eater, so be patient.

Don't give too many snacks between meals.

Try changing the form a food comes in – for example, give cooked carrots instead of raw or grated carrot.